In pictures: Upcoming Windows 8 tablets

Slates set to launch with the new OS.

Lenovo Yoga

Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga lives up to its name with a flexible design that allows the laptop to be folded and positioned in a range of ways - even folded entirely to turn it into a tablet.

When it launches in October, it will boast an Intel Core CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and will be less than one inch thick, weighing under 1.36kg.
Lenovo is yet to reveal pricing but said it will be around $US1200.

Asus 600/810 tablets

Continuing to blur the tablet-netbook divide, Asus will release two Transformer-like Windows 8 devices. The Tablet 600 will run Windows RT, while the 810 is a fully-fledged, Windows 8 powered device complete with Wacom digitiser pen stylus input.

HP's mystery device

HP has made no secret of its plans to launch a Windows 8 tablet but is yet to officially unveil one. A mysterious device did appear in both a promotional photo and video on HP’s website in recent weeks, however.

HP announced early last month its first Windows 8 tablet will be an x86 model aimed at businesses, and said it is looking at making ARM tablets running Windows RT.

Earlier this year, rumours emerged HP was working on its Slate 8, an x86-powered tablet with a 10.1-inch screen.

The tablet shown in the video and photo aligns with reports of the Slate 8’s design, boasting a metallic body with black antenna section for 3G/4G capability. The tablet has been reported to be 9.2mm thick with up to 10 hours battery life.

Fujitsu Stylistic Q702 and Lifebook T902

Fujitsu has so far unveiled two upcoming Windows 8 optimised devices. The first is its Stylistic Q702 - a hybrid tablet of sorts, with detachable keyboard dock and 11.6-inch display.

The Lifebook T902, on the other hand, offers a lot more heft, with a 13-inch display and optional 4G.

Samsung Series 5 Hybrid

Samsung's Transformer-style Hybrid considers itself as more of a fully-fledged notebook. Its other main pull is its magnetic hinge, allowing you to detach the screen as a tablet - and letting it simply snap itself back on when you're done.

The Windows 8 tablet device comes with a magnetic keyboard dock and pen support. It comes with 10 hours of battery life and a 2MP and 8MP camera.

Most significantly, it will run on an x86 chip rather than ARM, meaning it will come with the full Windows 8 over the RT version.

Acer Aspire S7 ultrabook

The S7 series has the ability to fold back the screen 180 degrees, allowing the system to lie flat, and includes a touchscreen display.
Acer is being sparse on spec info for the time being, but the S7 models come in 11.6 and 13.3-inch versions with a 12.5mm-thick aluminium body, full HD, backlit keyboards and a glass lid.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

The 10in, 9.8mm slate will run on an Intel Atom x86 chip and will launch in October alongside the debut of Microsoft’s next-gen operating system.

The tablet will replace Lenovo’s Android-based ThinkPad tablet. Key specs include 2MP and 8MP cameras, micro-HDMI, as well as a 10 hour battery life and 1366 x 768 IPS display. The tablet will come with 4G capability but is unlikely to be compatible with Australia’s LTE networks.

It will retain the stylus seen with its predecessor, and can be bundled with an optional keyboard, as well as a dock with three USB ports and an Ethernet jack. Pricing is yet to be revealed.

Acer Iconia W700 and W510

Acer's second appearance on the list comes in the form of the Iconia W700 and Iconia W510. The former is currently being marketed as a full desktop device, given its full HD touchscreen, Dolby Home Theater and range of connection options. The W510, on the other hand, is a lighter option for the traveller, complete with attachable keyboard.

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Convertible

Samsung's Ultra Convertible shares many similarities with Lenovo's Yoga form factor, including its 360-degree hinge mechanism that lets you switch between tablet, notebook and desktop monitor. Samsung is yet to reveal details of the 13in device.

Microsoft Surface

And of course, there's Microsoft's own Surface. The company has announced two versions of its first tablet - Surface for Windows RT (the more tablet-friendly version of the OS) comes packing an NVIDIA chip, while Surface for Windows 8 Pro (aka Surface Pro) is a lot less tablet-like on specs, running off an ultrabook-grade Ivy Bridge processor.

Microsoft is yet to reveal prices for the device, saying only it will launch in October alongside Windows 8, but a Swedish retailer last month leaked the price of the devices online.

According to the retailer, the 32GB Windows RT model will reportedly retail for around $A977 - a lower price point than the comparable laptop/tablet hybrid Asus Transformer Pad Infinity ($A999), while the top end 128GB Windows 8 hybrid device will sell for around $A2097.

HP's mystery device

HP has made no secret of its plans to launch a Windows 8 tablet but is yet to officially unveil one. A mysterious device did appear in both a promotional photo and video on HP’s website in recent weeks, however.

HP announced early last month its first Windows 8 tablet will be an x86 model aimed at businesses, and said it is looking at making ARM tablets running Windows RT.

Earlier this year, rumours emerged HP was working on its Slate 8, an x86-powered tablet with a 10.1-inch screen.

The tablet shown in the video and photo aligns with reports of the Slate 8’s design, boasting a metallic body with black antenna section for 3G/4G capability. The tablet has been reported to be 9.2mm thick with up to 10 hours battery life.

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